Monday, March 28, 2016

The major children’s literature awards in the USA are the Newbery and
Caldecott Medals. The winners of both awards were announced earlier in
the year so I'm a little late with this post. The Newbery Medal is known internationally and was first awarded in 1922. It was named
after the eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
awards it annually. It is presented to the author of the book judged to
have made the most distinguished contribution to American literature
for children. The books can be works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
The author must be a citizen or resident of the United States and the
work written for children up to and including 14 years.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honour of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott.
It is the most significant award for picture books in the USA. The
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) also awards it
annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book
for children. The awards commenced in 1938.

Caldecott Medal 2016

This true story was based on the life of Harry
Colebourn, a veterinarian who in 1914 headed off to be part of World War I to tend the horses. Along the way he rescued a baby bear called her Winnie (after Winnipeg) who he took with him to war. Harry travelled from rural Canada in a convoy across the ocean to an army base in
England, but this isn't the end of the story. Finally, Winnie ends up in the London Zoo, where Winnie makes another friend, a boy named Christopher Robin. This is the wonderful and true story that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.

Troy “Trombone
Shorty” was from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans. He got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as
he was high. By age six he was leading his own band, and
today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans
Jazz Fest.

With the brilliant illustrations of Bryan Collier, Andrews
has created a wonderful picture book autobiography. The book tells how Troy followed
his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached
international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

The book also won the Coretta Scott King illustrated book of the year award (see below)

Waiting,
illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books,
an imprint of HarperCollins)

This is a delightful picture book from the legendary author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, a previous Caldecott winner with 'Owen' and two Newbery Honour books. Five
friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to
happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the
rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the
snow. And the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to
wait! But will anything happen? Will patience win in the end? Or might they just do something else? Children who know what it means to wait and dream will love this book.

Waiting is a
big part of childhood—waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for
something special to happen—but in this book, a child sets the stage and
pulls the strings. Timeless, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt, this
picture book about imaginative play, the seasons, friendship, and
surprises marks a new pinnacle in Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes’s
extraordinary career.

Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an
inch of her life, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from
the 1950s until her death in 1977. Integral to the Freedom Summer of
1964, Ms. Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention
that, despite President Johnson’s interference, aired on national TV
news and spurred the nation to support the Freedom Democrats. Featuring
vibrant mixed-media art full of intricate detail, Voice of Freedom celebrates Fannie Lou Hamer’s life and legacy with a message of hope, determination, and strength.

Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson & written by Matt de le Peña (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an
imprint of Penguin).

Every Sunday after
church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ
wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he
have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get
off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging
answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their
routine and the world around them.

This energetic ride through a
bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and
grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Pena’s
vibrant text and Christian Robinson’s radiant illustrations.

This book was also named as a 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honour Book.

Newbery Medal Awards

CJ’s journey with his Nanna is anything but ordinary. It's a journey for all of the senses. He discovers the beauty of
music, nature and people around him. His questions are those of many children and
Nanna answers them wisely. She encourages CJ to become “a better
witness for what’s beautiful.”

The Newbery Medal Chair suggested that we “Read it aloud to someone (so that language can) elicit questions, spark imagination and make us laugh is at its best when spoken."

This is a book with a powerful plot, fine characters and economical use of
language. It is a novel about courage,
community and conviction. Set during World War II, Nine-year-old Ada has lived her whole life in a one-room apartment, for her mother is
embarrassed by Ada’s twisted foot. When her brother is sent to London to escape the war, Ada sneaks out to join him.

Otto is lost in a
forbidden forest where he meets three unusual sisters. He suddenly finds
himself part of a strange quest involving a prophecy, a promise,
and a harmonica. Many years later three children become interwoven with the same harmonica. All have daunting challenges - a father to be rescued, a family to keep together and a brother to protect. An invisible thread of
destiny binds them together.

Coretta Scott King Awards

Book Award

Gone Crazy in Alabama, written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is the King
Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers.

Honour Books

Three King Author Honor Books were also selected:

All American Boys, by
Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and published by Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Division;

The Boy in the Black Suit, by Jason Reynolds and published
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Children’s Publishing Division, and

X: A Novel, by Ilyasah Shabazz
with Kekla Magoon and published by Candlewick Press.

Illustrator Award

Winner

Trombone Shorty, illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the King
Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Troy Andrews and Bill
Taylor and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of
ABRAMS.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

There
are many ways that authors have explored environmental issues. In some
books it is central to the book, while in others, it is secondary to the
narrative and other themes. Here are just some of the ways children's
books explore environmental issues:

The relationship of people to the environment

The negative impact of humanity on the environment

A celebration of the environment, its beauty and wonder

Environment as creation and the metaphysical experience of our world

1. The relationship of people to the environment

This
first
category includes books that tell of the fine balance between humanity
and the environment and the disastrous consequences when we get this
balance wrong. In these varied picture books it is not a matter of deliberate action,
but rather ignorance and failure to plan effectively, which leads to
the destruction of environments whose beauty was once a lure to people.

This
wonderfully simple picture books for readers aged 3-7 years was a
Caldecott Honour book in 2010. Using delightfully simple everyday images
of a family interacting with their world and precision language,
Scanlon tells a powerful story of how we 'softly' interact with and mark
our world. It is a simple, yet profound book. The author sets out to
affirm "the importance of all things great and small,
from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the
widest sunset sky". She succeeds with the brilliant illustrator Marla Frazee to do just this.

This is a stunning book which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012. Conservationist Martin
Jenkins and Vicky White celebrate some of the world's most endangered species
in this book and show us why we must try to save
them. Martin is a conservation biologist and consultant for the UN conservation organisation WCMC.
Vicky White had experience as a zookeeper at the Cheshire Zoo caring
for great apes. This is Vicky's second book; her first was 'Ape'.

The book has stunning images and a punchy text that confronts the reader.
It begins with the matter of fact reminder that some of the animals and
plants we have shared the planet with "...have coped with the changes
very well. But some haven't. In fact, some have coped so badly that
they're not here any more. They're extinct". Jenkins then introduces us
to five species that are extinct, the Dodo, Steller's Sea Cow, the
Tasmanian Tiger (Marsupial Wolf), Great Auk and Broad-faced Potoroo,
before another challenge, "and then there are all those species that are
still around, but only just." Like the tiger!

This is
without a doubt one of the best conservation picture books that I've
seen. White's illustrations are fine-grained pencil sketches, some in
colour and some simply black and white, and are wonderful. They invite
you to gaze and browse for the pictures alone. Children aged 5 to 12
will love the book.

Jeannie
Baker is a wonderful artist who is a master of collage who tells her
stories with wonderful illustrations and a minimum of words. This book
is in fact wordless that tells the story of a changing place when viewed
from a boy's window. He grows from a baby to a man with the view
changing from dense bush and diverse wildlife to suburbia, before he
moves on to a new place on the urban fringe where no doubt the process
begins afresh.

'Flute’s Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush', by Lynne Cherry Flute
is a wood thrush who migrates from North America to Costa Rica. The
story traces the hatching and travels of Flute and in the process
introduces the reader to issues of endangered species, environmental
hazards, toxic waste, loss of habitats and co on.

This
is an interesting picture book that plays on the idea of the well-known
rhyme 'This is the house that Jack built'; but with a twist. The
narrative follows the main character who is a black cat chasing a
butterfly. The cat's trail moves from Jack's house in the idyllic
English countryside, to the trees that gave the raw materials, the
stream that flowed nearby, the woods etc. The cat eventually finds its
way to a much different stream that flows by the factory that guess who
built?

This
book is the opposite message of 'Window', and tells how a boy with a
vision to plant some trees in a rural farming environment sees his dream
become a reality over his lifetime. And as it does, the forest becomes
the playground for the town that eventually was to grow near his forest.
It tells a more positive story about how humanity can improve the
environment rather than just degrading it.

This
is an ideal book for young preschool readers. It tells the story of the
friendship between a child and the earth. They play together,
listen to each other, and nourish each other. When the earth is
sad, the child is sad. The child sets out to find a way to make his
'friend'
happy. This is a beautifully illustrated book which shows in word and
image a tender and special relationship between a child and their
world.

2. The negative impact of humanity on the environment

Stories
in this category reflect man's careless destruction of the environment
motivated by greed and ignorance. These are stories that tell of
humanity's failure to see environmental damage and act to prevent it.
They also tend to have a much stronger ideological message.

Plastic
bags are cheap and an easy way to package and carry things. But when
they are discarded they quickly multiply in any environment. They pile
high, become mixed in garbage of all kinds, become breeding grounds for
mosquitoes and other insects and vermin. Soon we have an environmental
disaster. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of how one
woman Isatou Ceesay began to recycle the bags in Gambia and in the
process encouraged others to join her. The outcome is an environmental
success worth sharing. A wonderful environmental picture book for
children aged 5-9 years.

This
is another wonderful book by Jeannie Baker (perhaps her best). It tells
the story of a boy and his Dad who go regularly to a wonderful beach in
northern Queensland at a place where the ocean meets the edge of the
Daintree Rainforest. This threatened landscape has been shrinking for
decades. As the boy explores the rainforest he imagines what it might
have been like 100 million years before when dinosaurs roamed. He
finishes the day cooking fish on the beach and contemplates coming again
someday. But in the background we see a landscape overlain by ghostly
images of what it might be like when he comes back again, should
development do in this place what it has done in many other parts of the
Daintree.

This
wonderful ballad tells of the exploitation of an underwater world by a
corrupt and evil Groper, his side kick Swordfish and a band of
'henchfish', who pollute a reef to drive out its inhabitants, secure
their 'land' at rock bottom prices, and then sell them new homes on
another reef. A tale of greed, corruption, and environmental
exploitation, where good eventually wins out.

Many of the books of Dr Seuss offer a social commentary (see my post on Seuss here).
In this story a small boy notices at the end of a desolate street on
the edge of town, a ramshackle house with a memorial to the 'Lorax'.
What was it he wonders as he gazes at the home of the Once-ler? The
Once-ler drops his Whisper-ma-Phone and for a small fee tells the boy
the story of the Lorax and the once beautiful Truffula trees that
covered the landscape, and the creatures that enjoyed the environment
they helped to sustain. The story of greed, excess, and environmental
destruction ends with the Once-ler giving the boy the last seed of a
Truffula tree. Perhaps, just perhaps, in his young hands there may be
hope for this place once more.

This
is the story of two frogs one a young and mischievous youngster
(Lester) and the other an older stayed frog named Clyde. Lester plays
just one too many tricks and is kicked out of their beautiful wetland
and heads off to find his own way in the world. He is shocked to find
that not all ponds are like his, and in fact some have been destroyed
and made unsuitable for frogs. He returns repentant and is embraced by
Clyde and the story ends happily with the words of Clyde: "try not to
worry, although it's so wrong, at least we're safe here...until Man
comes along!"

3. A celebration of the environment, its beauty and wonder

Books
in this category celebrate the world's biodiversity and beauty without
pointing to problems or making strong comments about human action. These
are books where often the environment is secondary to the story, but
where everything about the book reinforces the value, beauty and wonder
of our world.

This multi award winning book tells how the author
became interested in science and set her on a quest to protect
threatened species. Years later camouflaged
and peering through binoculars, Caitlin O'Connell an American
scientist traveled to Namibia to study African elephants in their
natural habitat. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

As the mighty
matriarch scanned the horizon, the other elephants followed suit,
stopping midstride and standing as still as statues. The observation
would be one of many to guide O'Connell to a groundbreaking discovery!

"Children
will be interested in O'Connell's growing interest in science, how
family and teachers encouraged her, and her efforts to protect these
threatened animals. This amazing presentation is a must-have for all
collections." -- School Library Journal

This
(as the name suggests) is the story of a back yard spider who weaves
its wonderful web each night using its skill and the elements to
survive. Its encounter's with man is just one of life's challenges, just
as dangerous is nature's elements of storm, wind and rain.

The Wind in the Willows is one of my favourite books (see my previous post on it here). Kenneth Grahame manages to tell a wonderful tale of animals of the English wood and riverbank. It opens
in spring, and the weather is fine and animals are stirring from their
winter slumber. We first meet the good-natured and uncomplicated Mole
discards his spring cleaning and leaves his underground home. He reaches
the river, a thing he had never seen before and meets the wise and
worldly Ratty (in reality it was a ‘water vole’),
who sees life as something that must be lived along the river. A parade
of rich characters is introduced against a backdrop of the wonderful
physical world. Otter and Badger, Toad, Stoats and Weasels are
introduced as he weaves his wonderful tale of friendship, devotion and
the challenges and 'human' frailties of life. There are many wonderful
versions including the more recent illustrated version with Robert
Ingpen's wonderful art (here).
'The Little Island', Golden McDonald and Leonard Weisgard

This
classic picture book was the winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1947. It
is a fine example of a book that had its genesis in a place that formed
part of the author’s life. Weisgard loved this island where he explored
its waters. His wonderful illustrations capture the beauty and rich
biodiversity of this place.

This
is a book for the very young. It is an alphabet book that focuses on
environmental issues. The illustrations support the clever use of simple
text to raise environmental issues and suggest ways to save the planet
from environmental disaster. Suitable for children aged 3-6 years.

4. Environment as creation and the metaphysical experience of our world

There
are a number of children's books that simply celebrate the world as
creation. Some of these books simply focus on the beauty of nature,
while others offer creation accounts, myths and metaphysical
explanations of the world and humanity's connection to it.

This
beautifully illustrated book is centred on a waterhole that is
progressively drying up. While the book is a counting book for young
children, the constant focus on the waterhole and its diminishing size
as the water is used by an international collection of animals, is used
by Base to show how water is essential to life. Without it the land
withers and dies and life is lost, but as the first drops of
replenishing rains return life begins to emerge again.

The
Aboriginal artist who wrote and illustrated this book tells the story
of a young man who lived in a rainforest at peace and in harmony with
the physical world. That is, until one day after encountering a flock of
amazing birds he accidentally kills a crane with dramatic consequences.
Enora and his world lose their innocence.

This
is another Australian Aboriginal legend that tells the Dreamtime story
of a time when there were only people and how Goorialla, the great
Rainbow Serpent travels across the country with a dramatic
transformation of the land and the resulting creation of animal life.

This
story tells of the encounter of a fisherman with a strange fish and its
mother. He catches young fish from deep within the sea, just after its
mother has given birth to this, the last young, of its species. The old
man looks at the beautiful creature as its colour and beauty begin to
fade away in the bottom of his boat and he returns it to the sea. It
survives and he is changed by the encounter.

This
is the story of Lilly and how she is captured by the story of the
Whales' song that is told to her by her grandmother. A species once so
plentiful that her grandmother would hear them sing at night, but now
they are just a memory of an era of whaling that has gone. Lilly's
mystical connection with the whales is the focus of the story.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

I've written before about the amazing capabilities of the brain, in particular, the capacity that the brain of the young child has to learn and change rapidly in the first years of life (here). A number of research projects have shown that babies and the very young can know, observe,
imagine, explore and learn more than we previously thought
possible. In a second post (here) I explored the place of 'deep practice' in learning and the increased plasticity that we now know the brain possesses. In this post I want to comment on a third area of inquiry that has demonstrated some amazing new connections between 'real life' experiences and those encountered via the experiences of human intellectual activities like reading.

Have you ever heard people say things like:

"I was lost in the book"
"I was so moved by that book I couldn't talk about it"
"After finishing the book I simply sat gripping it lost in a moment of devastating pain"
"Books are my escape into a world that is less painful than my everyday life"
"I hated that character"
"The book changed my life"

For many of us, the experience of literature can have quite profound impacts on us. Recent neuroscience research is beginning to give us some sense of why this might be so. This research has used MRI brain scans to help us understand the way the brain reacts when the subjects read certain things. Of particular interest has been what happens to brain activity when we read about experiences, compared to how it reacts when we have firsthand experiences. In short, the weight of various projects suggests that the
brain doesn't behave that differently whether we read about experiences, or actually have real life experience. Whether read, or experienced, the
same regions of the brain appear to be stimulated. Annie Paul wrote an excellent excellent overview and introduction to this area a couple of years ago (HERE).

In varied research projects brain scans are revealing much about brain activity as we read texts with detailed description, evocative metaphor and event emotional exchanges
between characters. Just as readers have experienced while reading, science is showing how stories stimulate the
brain and can even change how we act in life.

It isn't a new concept that the language regions of the brain
like Broca’s and Wernicke’s are involved in the way the brain
interprets written words. Research now shows that narrative activates many other parts of our
brains as well. The experience of reading can feel as if it is real life. For example, experiments have shown that words like “lavender,” “cinnamon” and “soap” don't just elicit responses from the language-processing areas of our brains, they also elicit those dealing with smell.

Other research has shown that reading tastes and topics impact on how readers self-identify. For example people who read the Harry Potter self-identify with
wizards, while those who read Stephanie Meyers 'Twilight' vampire themed fantasy romance novels self-identify as vampires.

Studies on the psychology of fiction increasingly provide the evidence for why we often experience deeply emotional experiences with books. Books influence our emotions and ideas and in fact can change us! It's worth thinking about what we read, as well as what our children read (and as an aside, what they watch).

Novelist and professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto Keith Oatley, suggests that reading can produce vivid
simulations of reality. Rich descriptions, emotionally gripping texts and vivid human encounters offer a type of passage into the real world. Fiction he suggests offers a rich replica of life! You can read some of his work HERE.

Applying this research

Most teachers of literature and avid readers will tell you that this all makes sense to them and matches their experiences. But it does underline a few basic things that teachers and parents should note:

1. Reading fiction matters and it must NOT be neglected
2. Variety in fiction is important for children as they learn about their world and themselves
3. Teachers and parents should give attention to trying to connect children to varied and good literature.
4. Persist in trying to connect our children with special books

Some Practical applications

1. Work hard to connect children with varied books that they will enjoy 2. Help children to manage their time so that they have time to read - this might require us to restrict screen time for activities those activities that offer only limited reading opportunities.
3. Provide opportunities for children to experience all forms of literature (novels, plays, poetry as well as film)
4. Show interest in the things children read
- talk to them about their reading, ask them to share what they are
reading and why, engage with them concerning the content of their
reading and their interests.
5. Encourage opportunities for children to share their reading interests
- try discussion groups, one-on-one reading
conferences, 'dining room table' discussions with small groups of
students (as developed by Nancie Atwell).
6. Help children to become writers as well
- reading feeds writing and writing feeds reading. Get children excited
about both by allowing them to take greater control and by supporting
them at every step. Encourage them to write for real readers and try to
establish ways for others to read their writing as well.

Rich literacy experiences from the start!

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About Me

I am a Professor of Education at The University of Sydney, Australia. I have spent a large part of my adult life as a teacher, academic, researcher and senior university administrator. My interests are varied, including how children learn language and literacy, the nature and construction of meaning, curriculum, pedagogy, and adult learning.